Index and signal arrangement



March 19, 1940. R. c. FINCH.

INDEX AND SIGNAL ARRANGEMENT Filed March 15, 1939 Rayznond (T32207 5g (1%, J

Invenion- Patented Mar. 19,1940

res

INDEX AND SIGNAL ARRANGEMENT Raymond. C. Finch, Jamestown, N. Y., .assig'nor to Art Metalflcnstructicn Company, Jamestown, N. Y., a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 15, 1939, Serial No. 262,013 2 Claims. 1 (c1. 129--16.7)

This invention relates to an index and signal arrangement for paper files of the self-indexing type in which either the record-bearing elements themselves or the supports therefor are arranged with identification-receiving margins in overlapping relationship. In one case, a sheath is attached to the record-bearing element itself, and in the other case is attached directly to the support. In either case, the signal device is a folded structure which embraces and rides upon the upper edge of the front wall of the sheath and cooperates with indicia disposed on the front face of the record bea'ring member and appearing through the front wall of the sheath.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing of one specific embodiment thereof while its scope will be pointed out more particularly in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a front elevation of, an index and having two upwardly-directed walls i l and I6,

one of which, herein the wall I 3, is received be- "tween said downwardly-directed walls, and a third, member it having a portion received between one of said downwardly-directed walls and one of said upwardly-directed walls.

In the example, shown, the member 88 is attached to the remaining upwardly-directed wall it as by providing the latter with a downwardly directed lip 2b, and by providing the member 8 with an upwardly-directed wall 'li'received between the Wall it and the lip 29. In this example,

the member iii isthe rear fold of a record element 213 having a front fold 26. Where; as' in the present embodiment, the front and rear folds are intended to receive records, the front fold eX-' tends downwardly fairly close to the sheath, but where, as already intimated, the folded sheet is to be merely asupport for a record-bearing element, the front fold will be made relatively narrow, the record-bearing element will have its lower, margin inserted in the sheath, and the upper margin of therecordbearing element will either be tucked beneath the front fold or will be secured to it. Ineither case, suitable means such as asupporting wire 28 will be provided to support the filing element on an appropriate panel, and where the latter, as is commonly the case, is provided with channels to receive the ends of the wires, the latter will be provided with spacers 39 to space the wires and to maintain the desired exposure or overlap of the lower margins of the filing elements. As herein shown, the wire 28 has its greater portion received within the fold of the element 24 and the latter is provided with perforations. 32 through whichthe terminal portions of the wire emerge from the fold.

Returning now to the signal member 6, it will be observed that the-fold of the latter is arranged to rest upon and to besupported by the upper edge of the upwardly directed wall It, along which it can slide to cooperate with appropriate indicia on that portion of the member it which is exposed to view through the upwardly siderable area of each and to press flatwise with spring tension against each face, to the end that it will require an intentional effort to move the signal, thus preventing error in relation to the indication which it is intended to afford. However, it is preferred to make the signal member of suitably colored Celluloid because this affords the desired characteristics of a signal, and as Celluloid used alone in this situation would not be apt to provide a sufficiently firm grip, it is preferred to reinforce the Celluloid as by providing a folded, metallic lining and reinforcing member 33 within the signal member 6 and provided with downwardly-directed walls 4t and 42 which contact the front and rear faces of the upstandingwall i l. The metal chosen for this purpose resists permanent distortion to a considerable degree and is shaped so that its walls must be sprung apart to receive the interposed wall 14. To attach the reinforcement to the signal, the reinforcement is provided with prongs "rear err-FE 44 and 46 passed through the walls 8 and I0, respectively, and clinched.

While the use of a reinforcement such as described is preferred, it is possible that by appropriate selection of material and form of the signal member itself, the reinforcement might be eliminated. In any case, however, the folded, inverted, U shape of the signal member is a valuable and useful characteristic wholly apart from the separate reinforcing member herein described, and the signal member itself may be made of metal of the aforesaid characteristics and covered, if desired, with a colored substance.

Although the force required to move the signal is desirably great, thereby preventing accidental movement of the signal, nevertheless, inasmuch as the sheath is interlocked with the supporting member i8, displacement of the sheath on the latter is unlikely.

Having thus described one embodiment of the invention, what I claim, and desire by Letters Patent to secure is:

1. In a paper file, the combination of a signal member having two downwardly-directed, parallel walls, a folded, metallic lining and reinforcing member within said signal member, a transparent, sheath member folded upon itself and having two upwardly-directed Walls, one of which has a single thickness only gripped flatwise by and between said downwardly-directed walls and by said reinforcing member, and a record member interlocked with the remaining upwardly directed wall.

2. In a paper file, the combination of a supporting member, a sheath member having upwardly-directed walls which embrace said supporting member, a signal member having downwardly-directed walls which embrace one of said upwardly-directed walls, and a reinforcing member which furnishes a spring tension tending to press said downwardly-directed walls toward adjacent faces, respectively, of the upwardly-directed wall which they embrace.

RAYMOND C. FINCH. 

